Canada Border Services Detainee Dies while in Custody in Toronto

An individual has died while in the custody of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).

On March 7^th the Ontario Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services contacted CBSA, and told them that someone under CBSA immigration detention at the Toronto East Detention Centre has passed away.

“The individual’s identity will not be released at this time. As in all cases of in-custody deaths, the appropriate authorities have been notified. The CBSA will also be reviewing the circumstances of the death,” a CBSA press release stated.

The president of the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers, Mitch Goldberg said no one should ever die while in the custody of CBSA.

“The public needs answers. What was the cause of death? Could this death have been prevented? Did some action or inaction on the part of CBSA and the correctional facility that they use to house their detainees contribute to their deaths?”

According to Samer Muscati, director at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law’s International Human Rights Program, since 2000 at least 13 people have died while in the custody of CBSA.

“Holding immigration detainees in provincial jails is deeply problematic,” said Loly Rico, President of the Canadian Council for Refugees.

“CBSA must bear responsibility for the health and well-being of detainees, yet they have no direct supervision when detainees are in provincial jails.”

In 2015 International Human Rights Program released a report, which found that nearly one third of non-citizens and migrants, who are detained are put into facilities meant for criminals.

“This violates international human rights law; constitutes arbitrary detention and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment; discriminates on the basis of disability; and violates both the right to health and the right to an effective remedy.”

CBSA said they will not be releasing further information while the investigation is ongoing.